1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an electrochemical storage cell or battery of the alkali-metal and chalcogen type with at least one anode space for receiving a first reactant, and a cathode space for receiving a second reactant, with the anode space and the cathode space separated from each other by an alkali ion-conducting solid electrolyte wall, and the cell bounded by a cell wall of metal.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Storage cells of the above-mentioned type offer a considerable simplification of the design through the use of the cell wall as current collector. A further advantage is obtained here through the use of light metal for the cell walls which gives the storage cells or batteries a high power density.
Aluminum is preferably used for fabricating the cell housing. However, a substantial disadvantage is that a non-conducting sulfide layer develops on the cell wall material, especially by the sulfur on the sodium polysulfide melt.
To overcome this difficulty, it has been proposed in German Published Non-Prosecuted Application No. 24 57 418 to have the cell wall preceded by a shielding electrode of corrosion-resistant material particularly graphite. It is known from U.S. Pat. No. 3,749,603 to protect the cell walls, which consist of light metal, of such storage cells against corrosion by means of a coating of MoS.sub.2. Furthermore, an attempt was undertaken to coat the light metal cell walls with cobalt- or chromium sulfides.
While the above succeeded in improving the corrosion behavior for a short term, new disadvantages were added over a long term. Mentioned particularly is the disadvantageous increase of the internal resistance of the storage cell due to reaction of the light metal cell wall and the formation of a sulfide layer on the cell wall.